It just keeps escalating
by ilikewritingrealisticstories23
Summary: This is a made up story...or is it? Kelsey's internet life has been sabotaged by her poor choices.


_Nobody seems to know the hazards of the internet._

Those words have haunted me for months. I know there are limits, don't get me wrong, but I feel like I've been living a lie. I'm not sure how I can tell my friends on the web, would they hate me or would they respect me? I have a feeling we're all probably hiding something. But I feel like I'm hiding the most due to my fake profile.

I feel like a cyber-bully, out there to get people, like a creep. I didn't know it would get this far; some strangers have become some of my closest friends. I've been lying to them about my name, but not my age or personality. I've lied about my family, where I live, and now I'm not sure how it can be fixed.

I felt a pang of guilt when I had to lie about my age to get onto the social networking and now I've lied to people who think that my fake profile is real. I feel like breaking down and crying. These sweet people, who have never done anything wrong, think they're friends with someone who doesn't exist.

The thought that comes to my head: _Kelsey, what have you gotten yourself into?_

I've always been the youngest in my class, and it started when I was getting teased about being the only one in the class who didn't have a profile. My first mistake was letting it get to me.

After a month of this I finally opened up my laptop the minute I got home and went to the "set up profile" page. I typed in my real name at first, but then remembered the lecture about safety at school and typed in a fake name. I continued along and put my real age at first, 12, but when I submitted it said "You must be 13 or older to create an account." I shrugged and made the year 1999, and it let me in.

At first I was fascinated with everything, like "Wow, people post everything on here!" and so I added a few of them to my friends list. I found the "new post" button and started typing something in, and sharing it to the world. Immediately I got four comments. I was psyched and added the people to my friends list. I took a picture of myself and made it my profile picture and got ten more.

Around ten minutes later I got a chat request, and of course, accepted. The girl introduced herself and seemed pretty nice so I typed back and immediately got a reply. Little did I know that this girl would become one of my closest friends, even though we met on the internet.

Two weeks later, I got another chat request, to which I accepted. We talked for HOURS and when she called me by my fake name my heart started to pound. I pretended it never happened.

I didn't know it would escalate from there on. Over months I learned their secrets and told mine, I knew about their families and considered them as practically my own. Their lives were so interesting that I added a few extra siblings to my own, which made me feel horrible.

But every time someone tried to look at my screen I panicked and opened a new tab, pretending to do my schoolwork.

I hid my secret life until my little sister came up onto my bunk bed and watched in awe as I showed her everything. But she looked at the name and said "That's not you."

Those words ring in my ears every time I post something.

I've been thinking of de-activating my account, or telling my friends the truth, but they would be devastated if I left and probably irritated if they found out that I was lying to them.

I've been wondering what would happen if we met in public because we all live in the same state. They would call me by the wrong name in front of my family and I would have to confess everything.

I wish I'd told them the truth from the beginning. I wish that I wasn't still tormented at school for not having an account, when in fact I do.

I trust these people I've been talking to. But for now, my second life has to be kept a secret.

If my parents found out, I might just die.

(A/N: Did you like it? This poor girl thought that she was going to be fine. What would happen if they met in real life? It's up to you to decide. Is it true, or did I make it up?)

~C. J. S.


End file.
